A Parallel and Complex Kinship Universe? Replicating and Extending Kolk et al. (2023) Using the Family Layer of the Dutch Person Network.

Vera de Bel , University of Cologne
Karsten Hank, University of Cologne
Thomas Leopold, University of Cologne

Despite the increasing diversity and complexity of families, family demography has traditionally focused on nuclear family dynamics. This study aims to describe nuclear and extended kinship structures in the Netherlands and compare them to findings on kinship structures in Sweden as reported by Kolk et al. (2023). Using the family layer of the Dutch person network from Statistics Netherlands, obtained via the POPNET infrastructure, we examine and compare the average number and distribution of living grandchildren, children, nieces, nephews, siblings, cousins, parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents of individuals who were alive and registered in the Netherlands on October 1st, 2018. Our preliminary results reveal that, in the Netherlands, older generations tend to have more children compared to Sweden, leading to a higher number of siblings among Dutch cohorts from the 1950s-1960s. In contrast, Sweden exhibits a higher presence of half-siblings, primarily due to its elevated divorce rates. In the next phase, we will investigate the number of step-children, step-siblings, step-parents, and step-grandparents. Understanding these kinship structures is essential for comprehending the complexity and diversity within contemporary families.

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 Presented in Session P1. Fertility, Family, Life Course